The Samsung Focus isn’t the only Samsung handset announced today to feature the Windows Phone 7 operating system. The Samsung Omnia 7, which joins the Omnia family populated by the Omnia HD and Omnia II, will hop on over to Europe. The quad-band GSM Omnia 7 world phone packs a 4-inch Super AMOLED display that …

France’s SFR site on the Palm Pre 2. Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET If the avalanche of this morning’s Windows Phone 7 news can remind us of one thing, it’s this: technology brands that are down aren’t necessarily out. In that sense, today’s news concerning a Palm Pre 2 smartphone running WebOS couldn’t have been better timed. French mobile operator SFR …

We’ve shown you the Windows Phone 7 hardware, but now it’s time to look at some of the software behind Microsoft’s launch of its new, bolder, braver operating system for mobile phones. (We list apps after the jump.) Why are these apps significant? Two reasons. The first is that Microsoft has wiped the slate clean with Windows Phone 7, adding …

Amazon is planning an Android app store to rival Google’s own Android market. The Wall Street Journal reports an Amazon Android app emporium would offer developers 70 per cent of revenue from apps to be used on phones powered by Google’s open-source operating system, the same split as the Google and Apple app stores. The online retailer has already contacted …

Eight long months after Windows Phone 7 made its debut at the 2010 Mobile World Congress, Microsoft finally unveiled its first series of handsets to the world. Out of the first batch, six are headed to the United States (T-Mobile gets two, AT&T picks up three, and one will land at Sprint early next year), with the rest landing around …

Now playing: Watch this: Windows Phone 7 for T-Mobile 2:42 When it comes to Windows Phone 7 devices, AT&T might win in quantity, but we think T-Mobile wins in quality. Both the HTC HD7 and Dell Venue Pro will be headed to T-Mobile shelves this holiday season, and frankly, we can’t wait to get our hands on these phones, as …

Limera1n can jailbreak iOS 4.1 devices–but it’s a little tricky. Screenshot by Rick Broida Almost a month ago to the day, I reported that hackers had found a way to jailbreak iOS 4.1–and asked if it was worth the hassle anymore. That question generated lots of great discussion, and now is the perfect time to revisit it. That’s because an …

While LG released the Quantum for AT&T here in the States, the company also released the LG Optimus 7 and the LG Optimus Q7 for the rest of the world. The Optimus Q7 is essentially a rebranding of the Quantum for the global market, with essentially the same specs–a slider form factor, a 3.5-inch WVGA display, a 5-megapixel camera with …

Welcome to the 411, my column answering all your questions about cell phones and cell phone accessories. I receive plenty of questions about these subjects via e-mail, so I figured many of you might have similar queries, too. At times, I might solicit answers from readers if I’m stumped. Send your questions and comments to me at [email protected]. If you …

Today Microsoft kicks off Windows Phone 7 at a press event in New York (live coverage). Hardware in the form of sleek, powerful cell phones is important, but not the sole factor in Microsoft’s quest to reinvent–or at least reinvigorate–its mobile phone presence. The user experience is also key, particularly with how mobile applications will resonate with Microsoft’s new customers. …

The UK will be awash with three new Samsung Wave phones in November, as Big Sam makes a big push before Christmas on its mobile platform Bada. Joining the upcoming Samsung Wave 2 and Samsung Wave 723 are three brand-new Bada-powered phones, the Samsung Wave 525, 575 and 533. The three are very similar in terms of features, all carrying …

NEW YORK–If Apple CEO Steve Jobs has spent the past few years pitching the iPhone as the ultimate, universal mobile device, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s answer with his company’s Windows Phone 7 OS, is the opposite. There is, Ballmer subtly implied at today’s formal unveiling of Windows Phone 7 here, no such thing as one phone for everyone–but there can …

Pictures of the HTC Spark, or Trophy as it’s also known, have turned up on a developer forum. A poster called Fishawy started a thread saying his friend was playing with the HTC Spark, a phone running Windows Phone 7 we saw at the beginning of the week, but under the name HTC Trophy. He decided to take some pictures …

NEW YORK–The three Windows Phone 7 handsets that AT&T announced this morning in New York will include AT&T’s U-verse Mobile app, the carrier said in a press release. U-verse is AT&T’s digital TV service that competes with cable and satellite in people’s homes. The mobile app lets subscribers download TV shows via Wi-Fi onto their phones at no extra charge. …

As we draw closer to the end of 2010, each of the four big wireless providers is expected to release its version of the Galaxy Tab. Announced last month, the 7-inch Android-based tablet has yet to see an official price tag or launch date from any U.S. carrier, but that may soon change as a handful of Tab rumors began …